niggard

“Niggard” is a very old word in English meaning “miser” or “stingy person.” Americans often mistakenly assume it is a variant on the most common insulting term for dark-skinned people. You may embarrass yourself by attacking a writer for racism when you see it in print; but since so many people are confused about this it might be better to use “miser” and “stingy” instead of “niggard” and “niggardly.”